Posted on 03/22/2012 9:11:53 AM PDT by jazminerose
By thy rivers gently flowing, Illinois, Illinois. O’er they prairies verdant growing, Illinois, Illinois . . . or something like that. In elementary school, we had to learn the Illinois state song. Even more incredibly, we had to know the Star Spangled Banner and the Pledge of Allegiance before they were outlawed by liberals in all 57 states.
I’m giving up my age here, but I grew up under the real Mayor Daley, not today’s cheap imitations, in Mayor Daley’s Chicago. As a child growing up in a politically engaged household, I was aware at an early age that Illinois is actually a mere appendage of Chicago. Something of a suburb, if you will.
Every election was a big deal at our house. A popcorn popping, staying up late kind of big deal. Although we knew that all elections were decided in Chicago, we still politely waited until the “returns from the river wards” came in.
Mayor Daley was actually ahead of his time. He was a champion of the rights of the discarnate long before the ADA came along. Who knew that once we enter the pearly gates, we all become Democrats?
No deceased voter would be disenfranchised on Daley’s watch.
It’s no surprise that Chicago was kind to Mitt Romney last night. After all, it was a Republican primary, not a real election. Come the general, Mitt’s going to learn what the Chicago Way is really all about. Chicago is also one of Obama’s numerous home towns. The level of corruption, viciousness and probably violence would disgust even the original Mayor Daley.
I spent many years living in Chicago & suburbs during the “real” mayor Daley’s reign. During his time, Chicago was well known as the city that works. Jobs were plentiful, garbage was picked up on time, crime was under control, and Chicago prospered. After graduating from university of Iowa I arrived in Chicago to look for a job and found one within a week. People said, if you can’t find a job in Chicago, you may not find it any where. The reason Da mayor stayed in power so long until his death, in spite of his political shenanigans, was IMHO he was never involved in stealing money for personal gain. His only goal was political power. He also was a devoted family man with no hint of scandals.
My boss was connected with the city and once I accompanied him to a conference of Chicago business people presided over by Da mayor. We were considerably late in arriving. The mayor walked up to my boss and asked us if we had a chance to eat something, and my boss said they had already put away the food, so the mayor ordered one of his assistants to get two dishes of food prepared for us from the kitchen. I was struck by how much the mayor cared after his supporters.
Yes Romney will find out what Chicago was all about. Just how Rahm got all the votes over Gery Chico, so to will the innocent bystander get all the votes over Romney.
The other reply about Old man Daley being more about power than money is true, but the second generation of Daleys figured out that the money is just as important. But don't kid yourself. Papa Daley had things that he could not afford on his salary [homes in Indiana, land trust, and enough to put kids through college]. He just was not lavish in a time that saw no lavishing. I often wondered how his kid Richard II was able to buy a $1.2 million townhouse on the mayor's salary.
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